The National Basketball Association (NBA), in a memo, told players and coaches that it is no longer advisable to wait before receiving the COVID-19 booster shots, raising the level of urgency regarding the additional doses.

The booster shots should be received “as soon as possible, particularly in light of the current coronavirus situation and increasing cases,” the league told teams Friday in the said memo, according to the Associated Press.

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Earlier in the week, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said they were recommending the booster shots be received by those who are fully vaccinated, suggesting that it get done by December 1 in most cases.

But with positivity rates rising in many areas of the country, and with the rate of COVID-19 community transmission in most NBA markets considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be “high” or “substantial,” the league and union felt the additional urgency is now warranted.

In recent months, the NBA has observed an increase in positivity among immunised players, team personnel, and family members, which is in line with national trends.

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At least eight players have been identified as being in the league’s health and safety regulations, indicating that they have tested positive for the virus.

People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. The NBA — following the lead of US health authorities — want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago.

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The league issued recommendations earlier this week stating that anyone who had the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination more than two months ago should get a Pfizer or Moderna booster as soon as possible. Those who had the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination more than six months ago were also advised to seek boosters earlier this week.

About 97% of NBA players have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the league has said. The most notable holdout is Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, a perennial All-Star who is not being allowed by the Nets to play until he gets vaccinated.

With inputs from the Associated Press